524 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



the anterior, inserted part of the scale. The scales 

 are either oblong or linguiform, with the anterior part 

 broader in the ordinary scales, narrower in the acces- 

 sory ones. The bead-shaped markings of their stria- 

 tion have already been noticed. 



The lateral line, which, as in most of the Cod- 

 fishes, is scaleless, at the hind part of the tail runs 

 fairly straight along the middle of the sides, gradually 

 rises in front, and in the abdominal region forms a 

 slight, but distinct arch above the pectoral fin. 



The aJKlominal cavity with its blue-black peri- 

 toneum, is remarkabljf long. In a male 65 cm. in 

 length it extends, gradually diminishing in width, be- 

 hind the vent to a line with the 30th ray of the anal 

 fin. This prolongation, however, does not contain any 

 portion of the intestine, but is occupied by the greater 

 part of the testes, which are divided, as in the Cods, 

 into wavy lobes. The stomach is long, hardly marked 

 off at all from the oesophagus, and pointed behind. 

 The pylorus is situated at the middle of the lower 

 (ventral) side of the stomach". The pyloric appen- 

 dages are long and luimerous, being at least about 20 

 in nunil^er. The intestine first bends slightly forward 

 from the pylorus, and then straight back to the anal 

 I'egioii, tlien forward again to the pyloric region, and 

 finally straight to the vent. 



The coloration seems to be subject to considerable 

 variation. The specimens preserved in spirits in the 

 Royal Museum are dark or light brown on the back, 

 the sides gradually passing into the grayish white or 

 light liluish gray colour of the belly, which is finely 

 punctated throughout with reddish brown. Our figure 

 gives the coloration of a fresh specimen which was 

 sent, packed in ice, t(j the Koyal Museum from Gothen- 

 burg in January, 1875, l)y Professor ]\Ialji. The most 

 cluiractei'istic touch is the black colour of the outer 

 (posterioi') part of the pectoral fins and the hind parts 

 of the second dorsal, the anal, and the caudal fins. 

 All these fins are edged with white. The bases of 

 the pectoral fins and the caudal fin are ashy blue, but 

 at the middle of the caudal fin we find a lighter, 

 whitish patch between the black portions, and in the 

 fresh specimen the sides of the base of the caudal fin 

 were yellowish. According to Malm "the rest of the 



fins are blackish bro\vn; but on the anterior dorsal fin 

 we find an oblicjue, whitish stripe from the tip of the 

 first ray to the hind ])art of the base." 



The Lesser Ling — apart from its near relation- 

 ship to the above-mentioned Mediterranean form — is 

 strictly known only as a Norwegian species; but has 

 long been reno\\'ned and more esteemed than the com- 

 mon Ling. It lives oidy in deep watei generally 



at a depth of from 100 to 300 fathoms — and is com- 

 mon only north of Bergen up to Finmark. Thei'e is 

 no record of its occurrence in the Arctic Ocean east 

 of Varanger Fjord''. It is also found, however, south 

 of Bergen, and now and then enters the Skager Rack, 

 where it has been taken in 35 fathoms of water on a 

 bank 23 miles S.W. of Vinga. Since 1860 Malm has 

 recorded the capture of 8 specimens off Bohuslan, and 

 Mr. C. A. Hansson has forw^arded to the Royal Mu- 

 seum two specimens, both females, the first taken in 

 October, 1888, at a depth of 80 fathoms between Nor- 

 way and Koster, and the second in April, 1889, in 

 Sacke Fjord. 



Two of our jn-edecessors, Strom and Nilsson, 

 state that on the coast of Norway Molua dipterygia 

 is taken,' not, as the common Ling, in the open sea, 

 but always in the deep fjords, "where it is taken with 

 special tackle, known as deep-sea long-lines, principally 

 in autumn." Collett tells us, however, that "at se- 

 veral spots, especiallj' on the oft'-shoi'e fishing-banks, 

 it is taken in so great ninnbers that this fishery — 

 together with the catch of the common Ling and the 

 larger Cods — is of importance in the manufacture of 

 stockfish intended for exportation." It is considered 

 better than the common Ling, at least when fresh. The 

 Swedish name of the species {Jnrkelmga = Trade Ling) 

 denotes, according to Nilsson, that it commands a 

 better price than the common Ling. (.)f its habits 

 nothing more is kiunvn; but, to judge by its structure, 

 they cannot differ in any essential point from those of 

 the common Ling. In one of the males belonging to 

 the Royal Museum the testes Mere so developed at the 

 beginning of April that in this case the spawning-season 

 might be assumed to occur in the spring or summer. 



Faher {Fischc Islands, p. 88) believed that the 

 J^esser Ling was the young ot the following species. 



" In the specimens before ns we find the peculiarity — which often exists, however, in the common Ling too, when <lrawn up from 

 great deptli — that the hind part of the stomach, np to the pyhirus, is forced bodily into the anterior part. 

 '' According to Mkla it is rare in this fjord. 



